By Donovan Baldwin
First of all, I always have a problem with the word "diet". Most people equate any diet with the words "fad diet".
Can't say that I blame them. After all, even though there are some good diet plans out there, most diets that we hear of are generally pretty screwy, based on poor or incomplete science, and don't work. I've covered all that elsewhere many times, so let's move on.
For the moment, for the sake of this article, we will return some dignity to the word "diet" and use it to mean a list of the foods we eat, along
with instructions on preparation, meals, when to eat, how to eat, and so on.
My own favorite diet is simple, filling, enjoyable, and so easy to follow that I don't have to count calories, go out of my way to plan, worry about eating out, keep track of what I eat, or get tired of eating the same thing. Heck, I don't even go "on" it or have to worry about falling "off" it!
However, that's another article that I haven't written yet. For the moment, I'll just tell you that you might want that I eat all the meat, fish, cheese, eggs, and milk I want, and the rest of my meals and snacks revolve around fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I have also done away with as much sugar as possible... which seems hard to do at first because it is in so many food products. But, it can be done and I have lost a lot of excess weight eating that way, my blood pressure has gone down, and I feel a whole lot better than before I changed my eating habits. And I have exercised regularly for years!
Once you decide to eat in some manner good for your health, probably because you have not been doing so, here's a few tips to help you be successful.
1. Do not make huge, sudden changes: For one thing, doing so CAN make you feel worse, not better! For example, you should have about 25 - 30 grams of fiber in your diet each day. Most of us are not getting that much. If you suddenly introduce that much fiber into your diet...
Well, just trust me that you won't like the results!
Also, suddenly changing a lifestyle in many different ways becomes a chore. You have to keep track of so many things and even if you are successful at that, you are still going to feel that all those changes are taking up all your attention and time. Add in the fact that no new diet is going to make you look and feel great right away, and you will find that there are plenty of excuses to throw in the towel.
2. Do not cut calories drastically: It seems wrong to hear me say that cutting calories to the bone can actually result in you gaining weight, but that's what can happen. Your body has some built-in mechanisms for survival, and one of them is sometimes called "the starvation response". When you cut calories deeply, not only do YOU feel bad (in more ways than one as you feel you are somehow being punished for being overweight), but the body begins to make adjustments in its needs which can result in you actually gaining weight eventually... especially when you go back off the diet.
Another point, by the way, is that your body needs many nutrients, and it normally gets them from the food you eat. Suddenly eating a whole lot less may mean that you do not get the nutrients you need.
3. Enjoy what you eat, or eat what you enjoy. If all you can eat is cabbage soup, or some such nonsense, you are going to get fed up... but not the way you want! You will give up sooner or later, probably sooner, and join the ranks of those who have tried a diet and "failed". You won't fail, really. You'll just come to your senses.
There are plenty of delicious, nutritious foods out there, and if you cannot find them, you just aren't trying. Even the "bad" ones are not really going to hurt your diet if taken occasionally in moderation. As long as your overall eating choices are the good ones, the occasional piece of pie or bowl of ice cream won't derail your weight loss train.
4. In fact, you should reward yourself for good behavior: Knowing that you do not have to totally divorce yourself from all the foods you know and love so well will make it easier to try new foods and stay with them. When I changed my eating habits, I learned that sweet potatoes were better for me than regular potatoes. I had never liked sweet potatoes, and, in fact, had avoided them because they were "sweet". They actually have more fiber and a lower glycemic index (a good thing usually) than regular potatoes. Now I eat them regularly and have a hard time deciding if they are part of the meal or dessert!
5. Understand what's happening: You don't have to take a course in nutrition to figure out what you are supposed to do, but it helps to have some real facts to go on. Learn a little bit about "good carbs" and "bad carbs". Get the facts about, and learn the difference between, dietary fat, body fat, and visceral (abdominal) fat. Bone up on vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Above all, don't look for the quick fix, and don't think just because you saw it on the cover of a magazine, or even on the Internet where ALL things are true, that some magic way to lose weight, get six inches taller, and win the lottery is indeed a fact.
Heck, doubt this article! Do some reasearch. Read! Learn! I mentioned some "facts" about potatoes and sweet potatoes. Is that true? Look it up! How about the strange words I used earlier, "glycemic index"? What is that? Does it work? Can you use it? I do.
6. Exercise: If you ever read any of my articles, you knew that would be here somewhere. What good is losing weight if you cannot hold a book to read or play with the kids, or, in my case, grandkids, because you are too weak or have no energy. Exercise makes you stronger, improves your attitude, helps strengthen your immune system, delays and minimizes many of the conditions that come with age. On top of that, it helps you find, no, create the energy to do more including fun things... and it burns fat.
There you go. Six secrets of making a diet work... if you want it to.
Can't say that I blame them. After all, even though there are some good diet plans out there, most diets that we hear of are generally pretty screwy, based on poor or incomplete science, and don't work. I've covered all that elsewhere many times, so let's move on.
For the moment, for the sake of this article, we will return some dignity to the word "diet" and use it to mean a list of the foods we eat, along
with instructions on preparation, meals, when to eat, how to eat, and so on.
My own favorite diet is simple, filling, enjoyable, and so easy to follow that I don't have to count calories, go out of my way to plan, worry about eating out, keep track of what I eat, or get tired of eating the same thing. Heck, I don't even go "on" it or have to worry about falling "off" it!
However, that's another article that I haven't written yet. For the moment, I'll just tell you that you might want that I eat all the meat, fish, cheese, eggs, and milk I want, and the rest of my meals and snacks revolve around fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. I have also done away with as much sugar as possible... which seems hard to do at first because it is in so many food products. But, it can be done and I have lost a lot of excess weight eating that way, my blood pressure has gone down, and I feel a whole lot better than before I changed my eating habits. And I have exercised regularly for years!
Once you decide to eat in some manner good for your health, probably because you have not been doing so, here's a few tips to help you be successful.
1. Do not make huge, sudden changes: For one thing, doing so CAN make you feel worse, not better! For example, you should have about 25 - 30 grams of fiber in your diet each day. Most of us are not getting that much. If you suddenly introduce that much fiber into your diet...
Well, just trust me that you won't like the results!
Also, suddenly changing a lifestyle in many different ways becomes a chore. You have to keep track of so many things and even if you are successful at that, you are still going to feel that all those changes are taking up all your attention and time. Add in the fact that no new diet is going to make you look and feel great right away, and you will find that there are plenty of excuses to throw in the towel.
2. Do not cut calories drastically: It seems wrong to hear me say that cutting calories to the bone can actually result in you gaining weight, but that's what can happen. Your body has some built-in mechanisms for survival, and one of them is sometimes called "the starvation response". When you cut calories deeply, not only do YOU feel bad (in more ways than one as you feel you are somehow being punished for being overweight), but the body begins to make adjustments in its needs which can result in you actually gaining weight eventually... especially when you go back off the diet.
Another point, by the way, is that your body needs many nutrients, and it normally gets them from the food you eat. Suddenly eating a whole lot less may mean that you do not get the nutrients you need.
3. Enjoy what you eat, or eat what you enjoy. If all you can eat is cabbage soup, or some such nonsense, you are going to get fed up... but not the way you want! You will give up sooner or later, probably sooner, and join the ranks of those who have tried a diet and "failed". You won't fail, really. You'll just come to your senses.
There are plenty of delicious, nutritious foods out there, and if you cannot find them, you just aren't trying. Even the "bad" ones are not really going to hurt your diet if taken occasionally in moderation. As long as your overall eating choices are the good ones, the occasional piece of pie or bowl of ice cream won't derail your weight loss train.
4. In fact, you should reward yourself for good behavior: Knowing that you do not have to totally divorce yourself from all the foods you know and love so well will make it easier to try new foods and stay with them. When I changed my eating habits, I learned that sweet potatoes were better for me than regular potatoes. I had never liked sweet potatoes, and, in fact, had avoided them because they were "sweet". They actually have more fiber and a lower glycemic index (a good thing usually) than regular potatoes. Now I eat them regularly and have a hard time deciding if they are part of the meal or dessert!
5. Understand what's happening: You don't have to take a course in nutrition to figure out what you are supposed to do, but it helps to have some real facts to go on. Learn a little bit about "good carbs" and "bad carbs". Get the facts about, and learn the difference between, dietary fat, body fat, and visceral (abdominal) fat. Bone up on vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Above all, don't look for the quick fix, and don't think just because you saw it on the cover of a magazine, or even on the Internet where ALL things are true, that some magic way to lose weight, get six inches taller, and win the lottery is indeed a fact.
Heck, doubt this article! Do some reasearch. Read! Learn! I mentioned some "facts" about potatoes and sweet potatoes. Is that true? Look it up! How about the strange words I used earlier, "glycemic index"? What is that? Does it work? Can you use it? I do.
6. Exercise: If you ever read any of my articles, you knew that would be here somewhere. What good is losing weight if you cannot hold a book to read or play with the kids, or, in my case, grandkids, because you are too weak or have no energy. Exercise makes you stronger, improves your attitude, helps strengthen your immune system, delays and minimizes many of the conditions that come with age. On top of that, it helps you find, no, create the energy to do more including fun things... and it burns fat.
There you go. Six secrets of making a diet work... if you want it to.
Donovan Baldwin is a 67-year-old exerciser, freelance writer, certified optician, and Internet marketer currently living in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. A University Of West Florida alumnus (1973) with a BA in accounting, he has been a member of Mensa and has been a Program Accountant for the Florida State Department of Education, the Business Manager of a community mental health center, and a multi-county Fiscal Consultant for an educational field office. He has also been a trainer for a major international corporation, and has managed various small businesses, including his own. After retiring from the U. S. Army in 1995, with 21 years of service, he became interested in Internet marketing and developed various online businesses. He has been writing poetry, articles, and essays for over 40 years, and now frequently publishes original articles on his own websites and for use by other webmasters.
To learn more about diets and weight loss, read his report, Why Diets Don't Work at http://nodiet4me.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donovan_BaldwinTo learn more about diets and weight loss, read his report, Why Diets Don't Work at http://nodiet4me.com.
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